But why did he feel such a sense of absurdity?

Shouldn’t there at least be an IOU?

At the very least, she should ask what I’m doing, or when I’ll pay her back.

William Carter possessed the soul of a thirty-eight-year-old uncle. In theory, such pure creatures as high school students should be easy for him to see through at a glance, but he truly couldn’t understand Ethan Foster’s actions.

But that was normal—before his rebirth, he’d never interacted with a rich woman, so it wasn’t surprising he couldn’t figure her out.

Maybe all rich women are like this.

At 4:30 in the afternoon, Ethan Foster suddenly slipped a bookmark into her book, stood up, smoothed her skirt, and put the book back on the shelf.

She left at this exact time every day—clearly, her curfew was strict.

But this time, before leaving, Ethan Foster deliberately paused, then turned and waved goodbye to William Carter.

So she’s not that cold after all...

William Carter watched her leave, then turned to look out the huge floor-to-ceiling window. Through the glass, he could clearly see the black Bentley parked downstairs.

The driver, wearing white gloves, had already opened the car door and was waiting respectfully, while the bodyguard stood on the same side, looking serious and alert.

Ethan Foster walked quietly out of the library, slipped into the car without a word, and disappeared into the dusk with the roar of the engine.

“Turns out the house of gold and the beauty are the same person.”

“……”

“Suddenly I’m a little hungry. I’ll go home first.”

William Carter put the book “A Guide to Soft Rice” back on the shelf, rode his bike back to Hongrong Garden on North Second Road, and bought a basket of soup dumplings at the entrance to the neighborhood.

Today was Wednesday, a workday.

Ms. Yvonne Cooper worked at a government guesthouse, and Mr. John Carter worked at the health bureau, so there shouldn’t be anyone home right now—he’d have to make do with some soup dumplings.

But after eating so much takeout and instant noodles in his previous life, he was no longer picky about food, and didn’t have high standards for meals.

Besides, the buns from this shop really were delicious—thin skin, lots of filling. Ten years later, they even opened a branch.

William Carter picked up a bun from the plastic bag and took a bite. It was hot and juicy—the same recipe, the same familiar taste.

It’s just that the weather was too hot now; after two buns, he was sweating.

William Carter tied up the plastic bag, planning to eat the rest at home.

At seven in the evening, night quietly crept in.

Mr. John Carter came home carrying two plastic bags, changed out of his slippers, and plopped down on the sofa.

His forehead was covered in sweat, and he was out of breath, hurriedly calling for William Carter to pour him some water.

“Dad, where did you go? Why are you so tired?”

“Your mom said the vegetables at the Nancun market are cheap. I rode my bike for forty minutes and bought a bunch—all your favorites.”

William Carter set the cup of water in front of him. “Aren’t they only a few cents cheaper? It’s not worth the trouble. Are we really that poor?”

John Carter took a sip of water and let out a satisfied “ah.” “It’s not about being poor. You’re about to go to college, and after that you’ll have to get married. There’ll be plenty of places to spend money in the future. We have to save wherever we can—no more spending recklessly!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the door creaked open and the front door was pushed in again.

Ms. Yvonne Cooper came in carrying a shopping bag from the department store, looking delighted and humming a tune.

Seeing this, father and son couldn’t help but exchange a glance.

“What did you buy?”

“Ms. Turner from my office said the department store was having a half-price sale on wool coats, so I got a great deal!”

John Carter stared wide-eyed. “A wool coat? How much did you spend?”

Ms. Yvonne Cooper looked smug. “Original price 888, now only 488.”

“Dad, is this what you mean by not spending recklessly?” William Carter was shocked.

“This spendthrift woman! It’s the height of summer—why are you buying a wool coat?”

“What do you know? If it weren’t the height of summer, it wouldn’t be on sale!”

John Carter put on the air of the head of the household. “William Carter just finished the college entrance exam. When the results come out, we’ll have to throw a banquet and pay his tuition—there are plenty of expenses coming up.”

Ms. Yvonne Cooper changed her shoes and walked into the living room. “Isn’t that exactly what I said? And, did you go to the Nancun market like I told you?”

“Of course I did. I did the math—the vegetables at Nancun market are a lot cheaper than the ones at the salt shop downstairs. We saved over twenty this time.”

“So today we saved three hundred and twenty?”

John Carter was confused for a moment. “Where did the three hundred come from?”

Ms. Yvonne Cooper lifted her shopping bag. “I bought a coat originally priced at 888 for only 488. Didn’t we save three hundred right there?”

“Yvonne, I have to say, your view on spending is just wrong.”

“John Carter, I’ve been married to you for so many years and hardly bought any clothes. Now you’re complaining about one wool coat?”

William Carter watched cheerfully from the side, feeling that this long-missed family squabble was actually quite heartwarming.

Dad was still in his prime, strong and healthy—not graying at fifty-three, and not secretly driving for Didi until he passed out in the car just to save up for a down payment.